Reading The Custom of the Country this winter has felt like stepping into the most lush, dramatic, and marathon-worthy period piece–so today we’re sharing some of our favorite period dramas and pairing them with excellent books for cozy winter reading. We discuss the appeal of watching historical fiction versus reading it, the throughline from reading Dear America books to watching Downton Abbey as a comfort show, and the complex nature of colorblind casting. We hope you find a new, or old, TV series or novel to enjoy after listening to today’s episode.
PS: if you hear some odd background noises in this episode, just imagine little toddler feet stomping above Chelsey's head!
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Shows Mentioned:
Downton Abbey
Poldark
Miss Scarlet and the Duke
Gentleman Jack
The Gilded Age
Bridgerton
Queen Charlotte
The Crown
Outlander
The Empress
The Great
The Good Lord Bird
The Underground Railroad
Reign
Books Mentioned:
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
Longbourn by Jo Baker
Poldark series by Winston Graham
Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn
Knockout by Sarah Maclean
Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas
Sarah Waters
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
Fiona Davis
Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
Jane Austen
The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
The Countess by Sophie Jordan
Victoria by Daisy Godwin
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Shakespeare’s history plays
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller
Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton
James McBride
John Brown by W.E.B. DuBois
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
The Water Dancer by Ta Nehisi Coates
Royal Diaries series
My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, et al
Alison Weir
Philippa Gregory
Margaret George
55. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin and modern pairings with evocative writing
54. Pride and Prejudice retellings, sequels, and pastiche
53. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Part Two
52. Backlist pairings for our most anticipated Spring 2021 book releases
51. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Part One
50.5 Five tips for reading Pride and Prejudice (or any Austen novel)
50. Quarterly Favorites: the stand-out books we read in Winter 2020-2021
49. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter and twisted Gothic fairytales to read in one sitting
48. Fairytale retellings for readers of all ages
47. There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset and ambitious family stories that span generations
46. Love letters to books: nonfiction books about the reading life
45. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff and charming books for devoted bibliophiles
44.5 Anticipated book releases for winter 2021 and backlist books to read while you wait
44. Short Story Club: The Hunter's Wife by Anthony Doerr and wintry books to cozy up with this season
43. Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde and books that center intersectional feminism
42. Superlatives for underrated, surprising, and well-loved books we read in 2020
41. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and contemporary book recs inspired by the March sisters
40. The joy of nostalgic reads and books that Jo March would love with Annie B. Jones, owner of The Bookshelf
39. My Antonia by Willa Cather, plus books about community and survival to read this winter
38. The Best Audiobooks We Read in 2020
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